Watch
A watch is a portable device designed for timekeeping, usually worn on the wrist or kept in the pocket. A brief history of the watch Timekeeping is an important aspect of civilization. With timekeeping, events can be organized for group participation. At one point, the primary method for timekeeping was the position of certain celestial bodies, such as the sun and moon. Over time, devices were developed to assist with timekeeping (because it's difficult to gather people together by pointing to the sky and saying, "when the sun is right about there"). Sundials were useful for a while. However, they were a tad inconvenient, considering that one had to have it in their line of sight to have quick access to the time, and because they had to have the sun on them to function, they were most effective in wide open areas. Many sundials were public, displayed near or in the middle of towns. If they were placed too close to a building, the building could cast it's shadow on the sundial, especially in winter, which would render the sundial nearly useless! Also, sundials do just about nothing at night. In time, a mechanical invention called a "clock" was developed. Clocks had the advantage of working well regardless of the local weather or whether it's night. The first clocks were large, and were often publicly displayed on the top of tall buildings referred to as "clock towers". Clock towers weren't conventient, as one had to have them in their line of sight to tell the time. However, they were a hit with train stations, which were expected to run with precision. In time, smaller clocks were developed, including clocks small enough to keep in one's home. These are referred to today as "grandfather clocks". A person with one of these had access to the time without having to leave their home or even look out their window! Over time, the clock shrank to the point that they became small enough to keep in one's pocket. These "pocket watches" were at one point considered a marvel of engineering. A person who had one was seen as being in control of their situation. Having access to accurate timekeeping in one's own pocket was seen as a real luxury. And it was a luxury that steadily became more available to the ordinary man. However, there was an answer for the call for more convenience. The wristwatch was developed, which was more compact than the pocket watch, and allowed the luxury of instantaneously seeing the time without having to reach into one's pocket. Today, people often refer to their cell phones to tell them the time. While cell phones have a number of uses, such a method of timekeeping goes back to the time of the pocketwatch in terms of convenience, when one reached into their pocket to see the time. Additionally, one must remove the phone from the carry case it's in if it covers the screen, and activate the display screen. What this means is, there's still a place for the wrist watch in today's age of cellular communications! Manliness factor There is certainly a manliness factor to the stylish wristwatch, especially considering that the cell phone has picked up somewhat of a juvenile appeal due to it's widespread popularity. A person who quickly refers to his wrist for the time still has a kind of "on top of things" quality about him, even in today's hurried and frantic world. Quality in wristwatches Wristwatches come in a number of styles and varieties. Some wristwatches have a certain rustic appeal to them that harkens back to simpler times while having a strong, masculine appeal. Other wristwatches have a sharp, cutting-edge style. In terms of manliness, analog watches are prefered over digital displays. Very high-quality watches generally don't appear to "tick" each second. Every watch with hands "ticks", but higher-end watches usually has the second hand make a movement several times per second, making it appear as though the second hand is moving slowly and fluently. Category:Pocket items